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Anatomy & Physiology > Brain > Flashcards

Brain Flashcards

1
Q

The brain and spinal cord are made up of what?

A

matter

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2
Q

What are the two kinds of matter?

A

gray and white

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3
Q

What is the function of gray matter?

A

receive and process

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4
Q

What kind of structures are made of gray matter?

A

neuron bodies, dendrites

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5
Q

What is the function of white matter?

A

send

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6
Q

What kind of structures are made up of white matter?

A

myelinated axons

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7
Q

What are the characteristics of the brain?

A
  • an organ in the CNS
  • located in the head (near the sensory organs)
  • 4 regions
  • communicates through the spinal cord and 12 pairs of cranial nerves
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8
Q

What are the four regions of the brain?

A
  • cerebrum
  • diencephalon
  • brainstem
  • cerebellum
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9
Q

What protects the brain?

A
  • cranium
  • three meninges
  • cerebrospinal fluid
  • blood-brain barrier
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10
Q

What is a meninge?

A

brain-covering membranes

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11
Q

What three meninges protect the brain?

A
  • duramater
  • arachnoid mater
  • pia mater
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12
Q

Duramater

A

tough outer membrane

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13
Q

Arachnoid mater

A

web-like, secures the vessels, filled with the CSF

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14
Q

Pia mater

A

delicate inner membrane fused with the brain

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15
Q

What cell produces cerebrospinal fluid?

A

ependymal cells

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16
Q

Blood-brain barrier function

A

prevents the entry of harmful materials

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17
Q

What cell is responsible for forming the blood-brain barrier

A

astrocytes

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18
Q

What is a ventricle?

A

interconnected cavities

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19
Q

Ventricles characteristics

A
  • 4 chambers
  • connect with the central canal of the spinal cord
  • parts contain choroid plexus involved in the production of CSF
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20
Q

Cerebrospinal fluid function

A

mechanical and chemical protection

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21
Q

What does “mater” mean?

A

mother

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22
Q

Cortex

A

an outer layer of an organ

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23
Q

Sulcus

A

shallow groove

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24
Q

Fissure

A

deep grove

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25
Q

Gyrus

A

worm-like fold on the surface

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26
Q

Ganglion

A

cluster of neuron bodies (GM) in the PNS

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27
Q

Nucleus

A

cluster of neuron bodies (GM) deep in the CNS

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28
Q

Nerve

A

bundle of axons (WM) in PNS

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29
Q

Tract

A

Bundle of axons (WM) in CNS

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30
Q

Cerebrum function

A

processing of:
- all complex intellectual functions
- voluntary movement
- conscious senses

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31
Q

Complex intellectual functions

A

reasoning, thoughts, memory

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32
Q

Conscious senses

A

visual, auditory, olfactory, etc

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33
Q

Structure of cerebrum

A

two hemispheres separated by the longitudinal fissure

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34
Q

What are the three components of the cerebrum?

A
  • cerebral cortex
  • cerebral white matter
  • cerebral nuclei
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35
Q

The cerebral cortex is made up of what kind of matter?

A

gray matter

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36
Q

Structural components of the cerebral cortex

A

gyri (=folds/hills)
- sulci (= invaginations/valleys)

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37
Q

Cerebral white matter function

A

forms tracts

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38
Q

Tracts =

A

pathways

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39
Q

What is an example of cerebral white matter?

A

corpus callosum that connects left and right hemispheres

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40
Q

Cerebral (basal) nuclei is made up of white kind of matter?

A

gray matter

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41
Q

Cerebral (basal) nuclei function

A

regulate movement, muscle tone

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42
Q

The cerebral cortex is divided into how many lobes?

A

six

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43
Q

What are the lobes of the cerebral cortex?

A
  • frontal lobe
  • parietal lobe
  • occipital lobe
  • temporal lobe
  • insular lobe
  • limbic lobe
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44
Q

Insular lobe

A

“island” within the lateral fissure

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45
Q

Limbic lobe

A

medial “border” of hemispheres

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46
Q

What are the functional areas the cerebral cortex is divided into?

A
  • motor areas
  • sensory areas
  • association areas
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47
Q

What are the two motor areas?

A

primary motor cortex and motor speech (broca) area

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48
Q

Primary motor cortex function

A

voluntary movement

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49
Q

Primary motor cortex location

A

precentral gyrus

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50
Q

Motor speech (Broca) area function

A

speech

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51
Q

Motor speech (Broca) area location

A

left frontal lobe

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52
Q

What are the five sensory areas?

A
  • primary somato sensory cortex
  • primary visual cortex
  • primary auditory
  • primary olfactory cortex
  • primary gustatory cortex
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53
Q

Primary somato sensory cortex function

A

Processes info arriving from:
- proprioceptors
- touch and pressure receptors
- nociceptors
- thermoreceptors

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54
Q

Primary somato sensory cortex location

A

postcentral gyrus

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55
Q

Primary visual cortex location

A

occipital lobe

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56
Q

Primary auditory cortex location

A

temporal lobe

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57
Q

Primary olfactory cortex location

A

temporal lobe

58
Q

Primary gustatory cortex location

A

insula lobe

59
Q

Proprioceptors

A

body position, movement

60
Q

Nociceptors

A

pain receptors

61
Q

Thermoreceptors

A

heat & cold receptors

62
Q

Gustatory =

63
Q

The brain combines senses together to construct what?

A

your reality

64
Q

Association areas location

A

adjacent to motor/ sensory areas

65
Q

Association areas function

A

interpret, coordinate, integrate with memories

66
Q

What is an example of an association area?

A

frontal association area (AA)

67
Q

Frontal association area =

A

prefrontal cortex

68
Q

Frontal AA structure

A

numerous connections with other parts of the brain

69
Q

Frontal AA function

A

determines personality, conscience, learning abilities, judgement, planning

70
Q

Most cortical areas are replicated on both sides, however, some areas show what?

A

lateralization

71
Q

Lateralization

A

the tendency for some neural functions or cognitive processes to be specialized to one side of the brain or the other

72
Q

The left side of the brain is responsible for what?

A

language, numerical, scientific skills

73
Q

What three functions does the left side of the brain perform?

A
  • verbal memory
  • motor speech area (broca’s area)
  • Understanding written and spoken language, mathematic comprehension (Wernicke area)
74
Q

The right side of the brain is responsible for what?

A

space, patterns, artistic skills, emotional speech

75
Q

What three functions does the right side of the brain perform?

A
  • memory for shapes (limited language comprehension)
  • musical ability
  • recognition of faces and spatial relationships
76
Q

The diencephalon is made up of what?

A

gray and white matter

77
Q

Gray matter in diencephalon =

78
Q

White matter in diencephalon =

A

sensory/motor tracts

79
Q

What are the three components of the diencephalon?

A

epithalamus, thalamus, and hypothalamus

80
Q

What is an example of the epithalamus?

A

pineal gland

81
Q

Epithalamus/pineal gland function

A

hormone melatonin, circadian rhythm

82
Q

Thalamus composition

A

composed of many thalamic nuclei

83
Q

Thalamus functions

A
  1. “filters” sensory info before it reaches cortex (becomes conscious) to avoid sensory overload
  2. Motor areas coordination (there are many of them)
84
Q

Hypothalamus composition

A

composed of many hypothalamic nuclei (GM)

85
Q

Functions of hypothalamus

A
  1. master of autonomic NS
  2. master of endocrine system
  3. thermoregulation
  4. Basic emotion
  5. food intake: sense of hunger
  6. water intake: sense of thirst
  7. circadian rhythms
86
Q

What does “autonomic” mean?

A

self-regulatory

87
Q

The hypothalamus is the master of the endocrine system thorough what structure?

A

the pituitary gland

88
Q

Thermoregulation aka

A

thermostat

89
Q

Basic emotion is a function of the hypothalamus though what system?

A

limbic nervous system

90
Q

What are the “basic emotions?”

A

pleasure, rage, sex drive

91
Q

The brainstem, midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata are made up of what?

A

gray and white matter

92
Q

Brainstem gray matter function

A
  • forms nuclei
  • regulation
93
Q

Brainstem white matter function

A
  • forms sensory and motor tracts
  • send
94
Q

External gray matter structures of the midbrain

A

superior colliculus and inferior colliculus

95
Q

Superior colliculus function

A

visual reflex cortex

96
Q

Visual reflex cortex

A

coordinate movement of eyes, head, torso in response to the visual stimuli

97
Q

Inferior colliculus

A

auditory reflex center

98
Q

Auditory reflex center

A

coordinate movement of eyes, head, torso in response to the auditory stimuli

99
Q

Internal gray matter structures of the midrbain

A

red nucleus and substantia nigra

100
Q

Red nucleus (motor control) function

A

involuntary motor control, like in maintenance of posture

101
Q

Substantia nigra function

A

neurotransmitter dopamine

102
Q

Dopamine function

A

movement control, emotions, pleasure/pain

103
Q

Dopamine loss results in what?

A

Parkinson’s disease

104
Q

What are some of the most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?

A

resting tremors, stiffness,

105
Q

Pons regulatory nuclei (GM centers) of importance

A

pontine respiratory center and superior olivary nucleus

106
Q

Pontine respiratory center function

A

responsible for breathing

107
Q

Superior olivary nucleus function

A

responsible for sound localization

108
Q

Medulla oblongata gray matter forms what?

A

autonomic nuclei

109
Q

What are the autonomic nuclei present in the medulla oblongata?

A
  • cardiac center
  • vasomotor center
  • medullary respiratory center
  • protective center
  • digestive center
110
Q

Cardiac center function

A

controls the heart

111
Q

Vasomotor center function

A

controls vessels

112
Q

Medullary respiratory center function

A

controls breathing

113
Q

Protective center function

A

coughing, sneezing, gagging, vomiting etc.

114
Q

Digestive center function

A

salivation, swallowing, etc.

115
Q

What structure coordinates the activities of the medulla oblongata nuclei centers in order to maintain homeostasis?

A

hypothalamus

116
Q

What structures make up the cerebellum?

A
  • 2 hemispheres
  • cerebellar cortex
  • arbor vitae
  • cerebellar nuclei
117
Q

Cerebellar cortex

A

outer gray matter with folds, folia

118
Q

Arbor vitae composition

A

white matter

119
Q

Cerebellar nuclei composition

A

inner gray matter

120
Q

Cerebellum functions

A
  1. elevates, “fine-tunes” movement = smooth + precise
  2. stores memories of previously learned movements
  3. balance and posture
121
Q

How does the cerebellum control the fine-tune movements?

A

cerebellum receives input from motor pathways and sensory pathways

122
Q

How does the cerebellum perform balance and posture?

A

collects proprioceptive information thus adjusting muscle tone

123
Q

What are the two functional brain systems?

A

reticular formation and limbic system?

124
Q

What is the reticular formation?

A

small clusters of gray matter interspersed among small bundles of white matter.

125
Q

Where is the reticular formation located?

A

parts of thalamus, brain, stem, and superior spinal cord

126
Q

What are the two functions of the reticular formation?

A

motor coordination and sensory functions

127
Q

Reticular formation: motor coordination

A

responsible for motor coordination between different parts of the brain involved in the regulation of movement of the skeletal, smooth, cardiac muscles

128
Q

What system is derived from the sensory function of the reticular formation?

A

Reticular activating system (RAS)

129
Q

Reticular activating system

A

uses passing sensory signal to activate cortex (state of consciousness)

130
Q

What type of sensory signal does not affect the RAS?

A

olfactory signals (smell)

131
Q

comaWhat is the result of the inactivation of RAS?

132
Q

What is the result of damage to the RAS?

133
Q

What does “limbus” mean?

134
Q

Limbic system is also known as what?

A

the emotional brain

135
Q

What five structures make up the limbic system?

A
  • basal nuclei
  • olfactory bulb + olfactory cortex
  • amygdala
  • hippocampus
  • hypothalamus
136
Q

Basal nuclei function

A

responsible for pleasure/aversion, motivation, and addiction

137
Q

Olfactory bulbs + olfactory cortex function

A

emotions associated with odors

138
Q

Amygdala function

A

responsible for the self-preservation emotions:
- fear
- aggression

139
Q

Hippocampus function

A

conversion of short-term memories into the long-term memory

140
Q

Hypothalamus function in limbic system

A

coordination of various limbic system components

Anatomy & Physiology (14 decks)

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